1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of cable protectors. More specifically, the present invention discloses a cable protector with removable dividers that can be used to divide the channel of the cable protector into as many tracks as desired for a particular job.
2. Statement of the Problem
Hose and cable bridging protective devices have been used in the past to prevent damage for hoses, cables, wiring and the like by vehicles and pedestrians. These cable protectors also help to minimize the risk of pedestrians tripping over cables. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “cable” should be broadly interpreted to include cables, hoses, electrical wiring, conduits, optical fibers, pneumatic tubing, plumbing, and the like.
Many conventional cable protectors include one or more channels extending in parallel between the ends of the cable protector to receive the cables. Opposing side ramps or beveled edges extend laterally outward from both sides of the cable protector to allow vehicles to roll over the top of the cable protector, and to help minimize the risk of pedestrians tripping over the cable protector. Each cable protector typically includes sets of end connectors that enable a series of cable protectors to be attached together in a modular end-to-end fashion to any desired length.
The number of parallel channels provided by a given conventional cable protector is typically fixed. For example, conventional cable protectors are commercially available with one, two, three, four or more channels. However, situations often arise in which it becomes necessary to run additional cables after a series of cable protectors have already been assembled at a job site. Short of disassembling and replacing the cable protectors with other cable protectors having the desired number of channels, there is no way to address this problem with conventional cable protectors. Thus, there continues to be a need for a modular cable protector that can be readily modified in the field to divide the channel into a plurality of tracks for cables to meet the requirements of a particular job.
3. Solution to the Problem
The present invention addresses this shortcoming of the prior art by providing a modular cable protector in which removable dividers can be inserted into the channel of the cable protector from above to define a plurality of separate tracks for cables. The present invention enables such reconfigurations to be done in the field, in a simple and quick manner, by opening the lid of the cable protector to add or remove dividers from within the channel. It should be noted that this does not require that the cable protector be disassembled or disconnected from adjacent cable protectors. The cable protector can be configured either with individually-removable dividers (e.g. ribs) or removable, interchangeable trays having a number of dividers.